Bloomington, Indiana

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Bloomington is located in the southern portion of the present-day state of Indiana. In fact, the city has often been nicknamed “the Gateway to Scenic Southern Indiana.” Paleo-Indians had inhabited this area for at least 10,000 years prior to European exploration. Between 1400 and 1450, this part of the country had Miami, Shawnee, Piankeshaw, Wyandot, Delaware, and French fur trapping presences. Finally, in 1805, the Delaware “relinquished” the land to US General William Henry Harrison, who at the time was the governor of the Indiana Territory. Later in life, Harrison would become president of the United States, for a month, prior to his death.

Bloomington, Indiana was first established by a group of settlers from Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia in 1818. As reported by the Monroe County History Center, the name ‘Bloomington’ refers to the “haven of blooms” these original settlers were so impressed with upon arrival. The city of Bloomington, Indiana was officially incorporated in 1827.

Today, according to a 2016 estimate by the US Census Bureau, Bloomington, Indiana has a total population of 84,067 people. This makes it the seventh most populous city in the state of Indiana and the fourth most populous city in the state outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to that same estimate, the Bloomington metropolitan area has a total population of 175,506 people.

Apparently, the city of Bloomington, Indiana is an incredibly historic place. In fact, there are numerous buildings in and around the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings include, but are certainly not limited to The Elias Abel House, Bloomington City Hall, Bloomington West Side Historic District, Cantol Wax Company Building, Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, Courthouse Square Historic District, Illinois Central Railroad Freight Depot, Johnson’s Creamery, Legg House, Monroe Carnegie Library, Monroe County Courthouse, North Washington Street Historic District, Princess Theatre, Prospect Hill Historic District, the Wicks Building, and Andrew Wylie House.

Bloomington, Indiana certainly isn’t all about its history, however. In fact, at one times, Forbes Magazine ranked the city Number Three on its list of “Best Places for Business Careers!” The largest employer in the area, by far, however, is Indiana University Bloomington, which is the oldest campus of Indiana University. Indiana University Bloomington, as of 2013, employs a grand total of 8,880 people.

Indiana University Bloomington, which was established on January 20th, 1820, as of 2015, has a $1.974 billion endowment. This public research institution includes the Jacobs School of Music, the School of Informatics and Computing, the Kelley School of Business, and the world-famous Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. As of 2015, a total of 48,514 students are enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington.

As for Bloomington, Indiana’s sports scene, it is dominated by Indiana University’s ‘Hoosiers.’ However, there is also a bicycle race held annually on campus at Bill Armstrong Stadium: The Little 500, which attracts more than 25,000 fans each year. The Hoosiers, historically, have won one Non-NCAA team national championship, 24 NCAA team national championships, and 141 NCAA individual championships. The Hoosiers teams with the most national championships are, in order, Soccer (with eight), Swimming (with six), and of course Basketball (with five). The Hoosiers Men’s Basketball Team also holds the honor of having a movie made about one of their teams.

Own a small business in the Bloomington, Indiana area? Are you by any chance thinking about starting up one? These resources could prove useful to you if you wish to succeed in such an endeavor: